Currently, there are 951 patients under home isolation across the state.

 

The Chief Minister also announced Rs 5, 000 as fine for owners of restaurants and commercial eating places violating social distancing norms, as a deterrent against defiance of the restrictions put in place to check the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic in the state.

 

Further, violation of social distancing norms and social gatherings of more than the permitted strength will lead to penalties amounting to up to Rs 10,000, the Chief Minister said at a virtual meeting to review the Covid situation and preparedness in the state.

 

The fines and penalties are in addition to those announced earlier in May for not wearing masks in public places (Rs 500), violation of home quarantine instructions (Rs 200) and spitting in public places (Rs 500).

 

Under the existing guidelines, shops and commercial places are liable to pay Rs 2, 000 for violation of social distancing norms, while for buses and cars, such violations are punishable by Rs 3, 000 and Rs 2,000, respectively, and in the case of auto-rickshaws and two-wheelers, the fine stands at Rs 500.

 

The additional fines come even as instances of violations continue to get reported from across the state, with average daily fines for not wearing masks standing at around Rs 5,000, as per Director General of Police Dinkar Gupta.

 

The Chief Minister also appealed to the heads and managements of religious institutions to ensure enforcement of social distancing restrictions and other safety guidelines, including wearing masks, during visits to religious places.

 

He urged them to make regular announcements in this regard through public address systems.

 

The Chief Minister also directed Chief Secretary Vini Mahajan and the health experts to work out the modalities for setting up plasma banks in the government medical colleges in Fardikot and Amritsar, in addition to Patiala, where the state's first plasma bank was inaugurated on July 21.

 

On the first day itself, four donors had donated plasma in the bank in Patiala.